A Global study has revealed that our mental state starts to decline after only two hours of continuous desk-based working, but just 15 minutes of exercise can help to reverse the effects.
Ahead of World Mental Health Day, actor Brian Cox delivered a warning to the world to get away from their desks and move for their mental health in a powerful Public Service Announcement (PSA).
ASICS’ global State of Mind study, involving 26,000 participants, revealed a strong connection between sedentary behaviour and mental wellbeing with State of Mind scores declining the longer individuals remain inactive.
Further research into desk-based working found that after just two hours of continuous desk work State of Mind scores begin to drop and stress levels rise. After four hours of uninterrupted desk time, workers’ stress levels increased significantly.
However, a new Desk Break experiment shows that just 15 minutes of movement can help to reverse the effects.
The Desk Break experiment, overseen by Dr Brendon Stubbs from King’s College London, found that when office workers added just 15 minutes of movement into their working day, their mental state improved by 22.5%.
The experiment showed that taking a daily Desk Break for just one-week lowered stress levels by 14.7%, boosted productivity by 33.2% and improved focus by 28.6%.
In the PSA, Cox plays the role of the world’s scariest boss to highlight the silent threat to our mental health — the desk we work at every day. The PSA calls on office workers to reject so-called wellbeing perks, such as free fruit and “Wellness Wednesdays“.
Cox said: “It’s great to see ASICS try and do something about this and encourage people to support their mental health through exercise. As I say in the film, run, jump, roller-skate. I don’t care. Just move for your mind.”
Dr Brendon Stubbs, a leading researcher in exercise and mental health from King’s College London, said: “We have shown previously that just 15 minutes of exercise in leisure time can result in a meaningful improvement in people’s State of Mind scores. But what surprised us with the Desk Break experiment was how powerful the 15-minute movement breaks were in improving wellbeing and reducing stress.”
ASICS UK is encouraging its own office-based employees to get away from their desks and move their minds by introducing the first employee contract with a Desk Break clause.
ASICS is calling on other employers to follow suit and is sharing the Desk Break clause on asics.com/deskbreak. Office workers are also urged to exercise their right to move their minds and propose a Desk Break as part of their working day.
On World Mental Health Day, 10 October 2024, ASICS is inviting office workers to join the #DeskBreak movement and feel the mental benefits. Office workers who can take a 15-minute Desk Break* are encouraged to share an image of their empty desk, and for each image shared ASICS will donate £5 to mental health charity Mind.
Gary Raucher, EVP ASICS EMEA, said: “In the lead up to World Mental Health Day, we wanted to deliver a strong message that will get people moving for their minds.”
Hayley Jarvis, Head of Physical Activity at Mind, said: “At the heart of all organisations are their greatest asset, their people. Supporting employee mental wellbeing by creating a mentally healthy culture where people feel safe and supported and introducing tools such as workplace wellness action plans means that employees can turn up to work each day confident, less stressed and empowered to do their job.”
To find out more, visit asics.com/deskbreak.
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